Amazon canceled its Lord of the Rings MMO after New World closed, according to a former studio employee

Amid widespread layoffs at Amazon Games in late October, it was announced that support for the MMORPG New World would be ending. However, it turns out that this project wasn't the only one at risk. Ashley Amrine, a former employee of the studio and senior gameplay engineer, revealed that the Lord of the Rings-themed MMO was also shut down along with New World.

According to the developer, a talented team was working on the new game, and while the project was in its early stages, the employees were already confident that players would enjoy it. Amrine emphasized that the layoffs affected many of her colleagues, including those who worked on both games.

Amazon Games has not yet officially commented on the fate of the Tolkien-themed MMO. The game was announced in the spring of 2023 as a joint project between Amazon Games and Embracer Group. Production was handled by Amazon Games Orange County, the studio known for New World.

This isn't the first time Amazon has lost the rights to develop a Lord of the Rings game. In 2021, another Middle-earth MMORPG, which the company was developing jointly with Leyou Technologies and Athlon Games, was canceled. The project then closed after Middle-earth Enterprises revoked the license due to a deal between Tencent and Leyou.